Ten Rules of
Etiquette for Videoconferencing
Don’t
let the small screen fool you. There are right ways and wrong ways to behave
Videoconferencing
comes with its own set of etiquette rules. WSJ’s Sally French offers six tips
to becoming an expert.
SALLY
FRENCH
March 13, 2016 10:12
p.m. ET www.wsj.com
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It’s the big day. You
have a video conference with the chief executive of your company to pitch your
ideas. You’re on time, and you couldn’t be more prepared for your presentation.
But are you up-to-date
with your online—and on-camera—etiquette?
Video services like
Skype, Google Hangouts and Join.Me are increasingly flooding the workplace.
They offer a sense of immediacy that conference calls cannot, and they deliver
big savings in contrast with traveling for actual face-to-face meetings.
But videoconferencing
comes with its own code of behavior that takes the place of yesterday’s manners
for meetings. Indeed, don’t let the small screens and at times deceptively
informal atmosphere fool you. There are right and wrong ways to conduct
yourself—and lapses will be noticed.
We talked to experts
on etiquette and videoconferencing. What follows are some of the most important
do’s and don’ts for work-related video calls.
DON’T
TYPE. Typing during a
video call not only creates distracting noise but also indicates you aren’t
paying attention. Others on the call might assume you are working on something
unrelated to the conversation. Even if you are taking notes, the sound of the
keys can be distracting to others.
“It’s probably the
biggest faux pas,” says Angie Hill, general manager of audience
marketing at Skype.
TIP: If you do need to take notes, experts
say, it is better to handwrite them. And if you absolutely must use your
keyboard, hit the mute button.
MAKE
EYE CONTACT. Maintaining eye
contact builds trust and communicates that the conversation is important to
you. But if you look directly into your computer’s camera so viewers can see
your eyes, it is difficult to keep track of what’s happening on screen.
At the key moments
when everyone’s eyes are on you, such as if you are presenting or introducing
yourself, look at the camera. Otherwise, it is OK to look at the images of the
other people on the call.
TIP: Move the video-chat window near your
computer’s camera so you can both look at people’s faces and into the camera at
once.
DON’T
EAT. Would you really
bring your tuna sandwich into the boardroom? No? Then don’t bring it into your
video call, either. Just because the other conference guests can’t smell it
doesn’t mean they can’t hear or see you chewing. Plus, food is the ultimate
distraction.
“I’m now watching you
eat a sandwich instead of paying attention to how brilliant you say you are,”
says Lindsey Pollak, a workplace-etiquette consultant based in New
York City. “And let’s be honest, nobody looks good eating.”
TIP: Put the sandwich down. And cover it up
if you have to.
DISCOURAGE
INTERRUPTIONS. With
videoconferences, it can be tough for colleagues in the room with you to tell
if you are in a meeting or simply working at your computer. Interruptions can
break your train of thought, and make you look unprepared and unprofessional.
TIP: If you’re in a conference room or
private office, put a note on the door. If you’re in a cubicle or at a bank of
desks, use a signal to let colleagues know you are unavailable.
“I write the words
‘video call!’ on a piece of paper,” says Lizzie Post,descendant of
etiquette nobility Emily Post and a spokesperson for the Emily Post
Institute. “I freely admit this is dorky,” she says, “but if someone comes
over, I hold it up, and it works.”
DON’T
LEAVE WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE. Need to use the restroom? While you may sometimes be able
to get away with bringing a phone—on mute—into the bathroom, that obviously
won’t work in this case.
About 24% of
respondents voted this as the worst thing someone could do on-screen during a
conference call, according to a survey by market-research firm Lab42 for
Join.Me.
TIP: If it is a large meeting or you feel
uncomfortable interrupting, just slip away and, if necessary, privately message
a fellow participant saying you will be back shortly. If it is a small meeting,
or you are the moderator, just ask to take a quick break.
PAY
ATTENTION. Just because you
can get away with online shopping during a conference call doesn’t mean you can
in a video call. Everyone can see your eyes drifting away or your fingers
typing, and they can tell you’re distracted.
TIP: Stay focused. Don’t look away from the
screen. That is a clear indication that you aren’t engaged.
REMEMBER
THE OUTLIERS. Sometimes a
video call is between a room full of people and one person in a remote
location. It’s important to ensure that people participating outside a group
are included in the dialogue and given cues and openings for questions or
comments. Otherwise, the people in the room can easily get caught up in their
own conversation and forget to include the person on the call.
TIP: Raising a hand to speak is OK,
especially when there is a lag time on the video feed. If you’re moderating the
call, be proactive and ask if anyone has something they want to add.
CONTROL
YOUR BACKGROUND. A messy
background can cause people to focus on the clutter around you rather than on
your words and ideas. Noise can be a problem, too, whether it is construction
outside or a conversation at the next cubicle.
TIP: If your environment is too loud or
messy, move to a conference room. A bare background isn’t a must, though.
Interesting objects or designs could work in your favor by generating
conversation.
HEAD
OFF TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. One
of the biggest gaffes is when technical issues prevent a person from joining a
call. You don’t want to open the video-chat service only to find you need a
software update. Fumbling the sign-in and joining late as a result, or missing
a meeting completely, can make a person look unprepared or technologically
inept.
TIP: Join a videoconference before the
appointed time to troubleshoot any possible connection problems. And when the
meeting is over, make sure you end the call.
“The worst mistake I
have ever heard of is someone thinking the call was over,” Ms. Post says. “They
didn’t hang up properly and ended up saying something disparaging about the
call. It was awkward for people on both ends.”
ACT
AT HOME AS YOU WOULD AT THE OFFICE. Many of us occasionally work from home, so it is worth
remembering that the same rules apply. Still, breaches of video-call etiquette
are common.
In the survey by
Lab42, 7% of respondents said they had seen someone participate in a
videoconference from bed, while 17% of Americans have seen an attendee’s pet
make an appearance. More than 20% admit to wearing pajamas—though with a more
professional-looking top.
TIP: Stay out of bed. Keep pets and children
out of the picture. And get dressed.
Ms. French is a reporter for MarketWatch in
San Francisco. She can be reached at sfrench@marketwatch.com.
======================== For a great satire on email, please see the following: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTgYHHKs0Zwscoop_post=bcaa0440-2548-11e5-c1bd-90b11c3d2b20&__scoop_topic=2455618
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